Posts Tagged ‘backpage.com’

It is common belief that Backpage.com profits on the sexual exploitation of minors. In this article, Ruvolo explores this idea and questions whether or not the website is really to blame. According to the article, General Counsel for Village Voice Media maintains that removing the site would do more harm than good, because it would cause about 400 persons a month to fall out of suspicion. However, critics maintain that the site is an outlet for traffickers to facilitate sex slavery and should be shut down. To read the full article and decide for yourself, click here.

After his arrest earlier this month, Minnesota resident Mickey Cupkie is now being charged of Engaging in Prostitution with a Minor. Through the usage of Backpage.com, Cupkie was able to find an ad, express his interest, and meet two underage girls at a motel where they were forced to sell themselves by their pimp. Backpage.com has become a notoriously utilized source for sex trafficking, so this is not a foreign situation for Minnesota officials. Fortunately, Ramsey County will recognize the girls as victims of trafficking, and continue the investigation to identify traffickers that may have been associated to the case. The arrest of Mickey Cupkie is the first prosecution and felony arrest of a “John” under the state’s new sex trafficking laws. Read the full story here.

Backpage.com seems to be the biggest forum for domestic minor sex trafficking. The website is owned by Village Voice Media, and the ultimate owners include private equity financiers, including Goldman Sachs. According to AIM Group, a trade organization, Backpage.com has 70 percent of the market for prostitution ads. Although some effort has been made by Village Voice Media to screen ads and alert authorities to abuses, much more needs to be done. Read the full story.